System for selectively answering a telephone

ABSTRACT

A system to selectively answer a telephone is disclosed and includes a stationary unit connectable in line with a telephone line extending to the telephone. The stationary unit includes: a first antenna coupled to a first transmitter-receiver to communicate with a portable unit that includes a second antenna coupled to a second transmitter-receiver; a switching circuit to seize the telephone line after receiving a signal received from a first activatable switch of the portable unit, from a second activatable switch of the portable unit, or any combination thereof; and an autodialer circuit to dial a pre-programmed telephone number in response to a signal received from the second activatable switch of the portable unit. The stationary unit receives verbal communications from the portable unit and transmits the verbal communications via the telephone line after the telephone line is seized. At least one of the stationary unit and the portable unit includes a counter-timer circuit to restrictively permit activation of the autodialer circuit when the second activatable switch is activated a number of times within a time period.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of and claimspriority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/708,074 filed on Feb. 6,2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,659, the contents of which are expresslyincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to telephones that areconnected to telephone lines and situated on the premises of telephoneservice subscribers. The present disclosure more particularly relates tocalling and answering devices for use in conjunction with suchtelephones.

BACKGROUND

In a conventional telephone network, a telephone situated on thepremises of a telephone service subscriber (i.e., customer) is generallyconnected to the end of a telephone line that extends from the centraloffice (CO) of a local telephone service provider (i.e., telephonecompany). Within such a network, if an outside caller attempts to callthe subscriber or some other person at the subscriber's premises, a ringgenerator situated within the central office transmits a pulsed ringingsignal along the telephone line so that the signal is ultimatelycommunicated to the telephone of the subscriber. Once the ringing signalis received and detected by the telephone, a ringer within the telephonethen audibly sounds off in an intermittent fashion, both in sync withthe pulsed ringing signal and in accordance to a predetermined ringcadence. During this time while the telephone is “ringing,” thesubscriber or some other person at the subscriber's premises, ifpresent, has the option of taking the receiver of the telephone off-hookso that the telephone line is thereby seized and the subscriber or otherperson can converse with the caller over the line.

For a person who is elderly, infirm, disabled, handicapped, or not fullyambulatory, there are many times in which, though on the premises andwithin earshot of the telephone, he is not able to reach the telephonein time (i.e., while it is still ringing and before the caller hangs up)to answer. When a telephone call is missed in this manner, the personmust either resign himself to having missed the call altogether or relyon a phone answering machine, a phone answering service, a caller ID(identification) service, or a last call return service so that he may,if he so desires, call the caller back. In a few instances, missingcalls may actually be desirable if the calls are unwanted, such as, forexample, unsolicited calls from telemarketers. Missing calls, however,from more favored, preferred, or important callers is highlyundesirable, for the person in each instance is either relegated tohaving missed the call altogether or must go through the hassle andinconvenience of having to call the caller back.

To avoid missing important telephone calls while on-premises, a personwho is elderly, infirm, disabled, handicapped, or not fully ambulatorymay perhaps decide to tote around the unattached handset portion of acordless telephone set. Doing so on a long-term basis, however, isgenerally neither feasible nor practical for many such persons, for thehandset portions of cordless telephone sets are typically too bulky andcumbersome to be carried around continuously. As an alternative, such aperson may instead perhaps choose to carry around a cellular telephone,for cellular telephones are typically both compact in size andlightweight and are therefore generally less cumbersome. Toting such acellular telephone while on-premises, too, however, is generally neitherfeasible nor practical for many such persons, for cellular telephonesoften have poor reception when utilized indoors, have diminutive buttonsand features requiring good manual dexterity and vision to operate, andare somewhat functionally complex.

In light of the above, there is a present need in the art for atelephone answering device or system that (1) enables a person toselectively answer a telephone from a remote location, (2) islightweight and easy to carry around for a long period of time, (3) iseasy to operate manually, and (4) is functionally simple.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Hereinbelow, the present disclosure is described in detail, by way ofexample, with reference to drawings included in FIGS. 1 through 6. Inall FIGS. 1 through 6, the same or similar reference numerals aregenerally used to identify the same or similar drawing features. A briefdescription of the pictorial content included within each of FIGS. 1through 6 is set forth as follows.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system for selectively answering atelephone from a remote location, wherein the system is shown to includeboth a stationary unit and a portable unit.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of the stationary unit depicted in FIG. 1,wherein the many various components included within the stationary unitare highlighted.

FIG. 2B is a supplemental block diagram of the stationary unit depictedin FIG. 2A, wherein the stationary unit is shown to also include anextendable power cord with pronged plug and a backup battery.

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of the portable unit in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the portable unit in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the portable unit depicted in FIGS. 3A and3B, wherein the many various components included within the portableunit are highlighted.

FIG. 5A is a rear perspective view of the portable unit in FIGS. 3A and3B, wherein the back of the portable unit is shown to include a lockpocket for receiving a clipping member.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a resilient clipping member.

FIG. 5C is a rear perspective view of the portable unit in FIGS. 3A and3B, wherein the clipping member of FIG. 5B is secured within the lockpocket highlighted in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is an illustration depicting how the portable unit of FIG. 5C canbe clipped and worn on a person's article of clothing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A system to selectively answer a telephone from a remote location isdisclosed and includes a stationary unit connectable in line with atelephone line extending to the telephone, where the stationary unitincludes: a first antenna coupled to a first transmitter-receiver tocommunicate with a portable unit that includes a second antenna coupledto a second transmitter-receiver; a switching circuit to seize thetelephone line after receiving a signal received from a firstactivatable switch of the portable unit, from a second activatableswitch of the portable unit, or any combination thereof; and anautodialer circuit to dial a pre-programmed telephone number in responseto a signal received from the second activatable switch of the portableunit. The stationary unit receives verbal communications from theportable unit and transmits the verbal communications via the telephoneline after the telephone line is seized. At least one of the stationaryunit and the portable unit includes a counter-timer circuit torestrictively permit activation of the autodialer circuit when thesecond activatable switch is activated a number of times within a timeperiod.

In another embodiment, a system to selectively answer a telephone from aremote location is disclosed and includes a portable unit that includes:a first antenna coupled to a first transmitter-receiver to communicatewith a stationary unit; a first activatable switch to selectivelytrigger the stationary unit to seize a telephone line in response to aringing signal received over the telephone line; a second activatableswitch to selectively trigger the stationary unit to seize the telephoneline and to dial a pre-programmed telephone number; and a microphone totransmit verbal communications to the stationary unit, such that thestationary unit is enabled to transmit the verbal communications via thetelephone line after the telephone line is seized. At least one of thestationary unit and the portable unit includes a counter-timer circuitto restrictively permit activation of the autodialer circuit when thesecond activatable switch is activated a number of times within a timeperiod.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system 10 for selectively answering aconventional telephone 16 from a remote location. As illustrated, thesystem 10 itself basically includes both a stationary unit 12 and aportable unit 14A. During operation, the stationary unit 12 and theportable unit 14A are in electromagnetic communication with each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the stationary unit 12, first of all, isgenerally connectable in line with a telephone line 18 that extends tothe telephone 16. In a preferred embodiment, the stationary unit 12 isparticularly adapted and structured for being connected in line with aconventional base cord, line cord, or mounting cord that extends, forexample, between a conventional wall-mounted phone jack 20 and thetelephone 16. The portable unit 14A, in turn, is generally totable orwearable on-person. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the portable unit14A particularly includes an attached string 22 that is loosely drapedaround the neck of a person 24A so that the portable unit 14A may beeffortlessly carried on-person for easy-access operation.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of the stationary unit 12 depicted in FIG. 1.As shown in FIG. 2A, the stationary unit 12 generally includes manyvarious features and components. More particularly, the stationary unit12 includes a ring detector circuit 38, a caller ID processor 44, anantenna 32, a transmitter-receiver 34, a switching circuit 36, amicroprocessor (.mu.P) 40, a speech network 42, an autodialer circuit46, a random access memory (RAM) 48, an interactive user panel 50, andan enclosure 30.

The ring detector circuit 38, first of all, is mounted and housed withinthe enclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, thering detector circuit 38 is electrically connected to both the tip wire26 and the ring wire 28 of the telephone line 18A. Connected as such,the ring detector circuit 38 generally serves to “awake” and activatethe overall system 10 upon detecting the pulses of a ringing signalreceived over the telephone line 18A from the central office (CO) of alocal telephone service provider (i.e., telephone company). If thesystem 10 is utilized, for example, in conjunction with a conventionalNorth American telephone network, the ring detector circuit 38 should beadapted to detect a ringing signal having both a voltage within a rangeof about 70 to 90 V.sub.AC (alternating-current volts) and a frequencywithin a range of about 17 to 20 Hz (hertz).

The caller ID processor 44, next of all, is mounted and housed withinthe enclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, thecaller ID processor 44 is also electrically connected to both the tipwire 26 and the ring wire 28 of the telephone line 18A. Connected assuch, the caller ID processor 44 generally serves as a circuit forprocessing caller ID data signals received over the telephone line 18A.In a conventional North American telephone network, for example, suchcaller ID data signals are typically communicated between the first andsecond pulses of a received ringing signal. Furthermore, calleridentification information actually conveyed via these caller ID datasignals frequently includes, for example, the date of call, the time ofcall, the telephone number associated with the call-originatingtelephone, and the identification of the subscriber who purchasedtelephone service for the call-originating telephone.

The antenna 32 and the transmitter-receiver 34, in turn, are generallymounted and housed within, or supported on, the enclosure 30 of thestationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, the antenna 32 and thetransmitter-receiver 34 are generally directly connected together.Connected as such, electromagnetic signals can therefore be sent andreceived by the antenna 32 of the stationary unit 12 for the purpose ofestablishing a communication link with the portable unit 14A. In thisway, information or data signals as well as control signals cantherefore be passed between the stationary unit 12 and the portable unit14A. For the purpose of ensuring that the stationary unit 12 isrelatively compact in size so that it does not have a large “footprint”and unnecessarily take up surface space, the transmitter-receiver 34 mayin some embodiments be a transceiver.

The switching circuit 36, next of all, is mounted and housed within theenclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, theswitching circuit 36 is electrically connected in line with both the tipwire 26 and the ring wire 28 of the telephone line 18. Connected assuch, the switching circuit 36 serves to “seize” the telephone line 18by creating an off-hook condition in the telephone line 18 that isrecognizable, for example, by the central office of the local telephonecompany. To create such an off-hook condition in the telephone line 18,the switching circuit 36 generally includes one or more switchingdevices such as, for example, relays.

The microprocessor (.mu.P) 40, in turn, is mounted and housed within theenclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, themicroprocessor 40 is electrically connected to many, if not most, of theprimary electronic components that make up the stationary unit 12.Connected as such, the microprocessor 40 serves to process both controlsignals and data signals in order to thereby largely coordinate andcontrol the overall operation of the stationary unit 12. Though themicroprocessor 40 as depicted in FIG. 2A is shown to be singular, it isto be understood that the microprocessor 40 itself may very well includeone or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, and/or memory chipspursuant to the present invention.

The speech network 42, next of all, is mounted and housed within theenclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2A, the speechnetwork 42 is electrically interconnected between the switching circuit36 and the transmitter-receiver 34 associated with the antenna 32.Connected as such, the speech network 42 thus serves to process speechand voice signals for the purpose of facilitating both the transmissionand receipt of such signals over the telephone line 18 as well as thecommunication of such signals through the stationary unit 12. Inaddition, the speech network 42 also serves to facilitate functionalcooperation between the stationary unit 12 and the portable unit 14 sothat full duplex operation of the overall system 10 is made possible. Inthis way, a person 24 can simultaneously talk and listen over theportable unit 14 without experiencing intermittent interruptions.

The autodialer circuit 46, the random access memory (RAM) 48, and theinteractive user panel 50, in turn, are generally mounted and housedwithin, or supported on, the enclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. Asshown in FIG. 2A, the autodialer circuit 46, the random access memory48, and the interactive user panel 50 are generally electricallyconnected together. The autodialer circuit 46, in addition, is alsoelectrically connected to both the microprocessor 40 and the switchingcircuit 36. In such a configuration, the autodialer circuit 46 serves toautomatically speed dial a pre-programmed emergency response telephonenumber whenever activated. Such an emergency response telephone numbermay, for example, be the telephone number for a local “911” dispatchunit, the local police department, the local fire department, a localhospital or ambulance service, a home security service, an on-callmedical assistance service, an assisted living service, or the like. Theinteractive user panel 50 can be used by a person 24 to selectivelyprogram and even reprogram the autodialer circuit 46 so that aparticularly preferred emergency response telephone number isautomatically speed dialed by the circuit 46 when activated. Wheneverthe autodialer circuit 46 is selectively programmed in this manner, theselected telephone number itself is stored in the random access memory48 for lookup access.

The enclosure 30, last of all, is structurally adapted for housing,mounting, or supporting each of the aforementioned features andcomponents associated with the stationary unit 12. Although otherconstituent materials may indeed be utilized, the enclosure 30 ispreferably made of plastic.

FIG. 2B is a supplemental block diagram of the stationary unit 12depicted in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 2B, the stationary unit 12 alsoincludes a power cord 52, a pronged plug 54, an AC-to-DC (alternatingcurrent to direct current) power converter 56, structure for retaining areplaceable battery (BAT) 60, and a battery test circuit 64.

The power cord 52, first of all, is extendable from the enclosure 30 ofthe stationary unit 12, and the pronged plug 54 is affixed to theextendable end of the cord 52. Together, the power cord 52 and thepronged plug 54 serve as a means for drawing electrical power from aconventional alternating-current (AC) power outlet.

The AC-to-DC power converter 56, next of all, is mounted and housedwithin the enclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. As shown in FIG. 2B,the power converter 56 is electrically connected to the other end of thepower cord 52. Connected as such, the power converter 56 essentiallyserves to supply electrical power, in the form of a regulateddirect-current (DC) voltage (V.sub.DC), to the various electroniccomponents within the stationary unit 12. Such electrical-power isparticularly made available to the various electronic components via apositive power node 72A and a negative power node 72B. To ensure thatthe power converter 56 is not inadvertently reverse biased duringoperation of the system 10, a diode 58 is electrically connected betweenthe positive output of the power converter 56 and the positive powernode 72A as shown in FIG. 2B. the structure for retaining a replaceablebattery (BAT) 60, in turn, is housed within the enclosure 30 of thestationary unit 12. In general, having structure for retaining such abattery 60 enables the stationary unit 12 to alternatively drawelectrical power from the battery 60 should electrical power being drawnfrom an AC power outlet via the power cord 52 ever suddenly be cut off.In this way, the battery 60 serves as a backup power supply for thestationary unit 12.

The battery test circuit 64, next of all, is generally mounted andhoused within the enclosure 30 of the stationary unit 12. In general,the test circuit 64 serves as a means for determining whether thebattery 60 needs to be replaced. To make such a determination, the testcircuit 64 includes a resistor 66, a battery test push-button 68(normally open), and a light-emitting diode (LED) 70 all connected inseries between the positive and negative terminals of the battery 60 asshown in FIG. 2B. Furthermore, to ensure that the battery 60 is notinadvertently reverse biased during operation of the system 10, a diode62 is electrically connected between the positive terminal of thebattery 60 and the positive power node 72A as also shown in FIG. 2B.Connected as such, a person 24 can press the test push-button 68 andthereby complete an electrically conductive path between the twoterminals of the battery 60 via the test circuit 64. If the battery 60still retains an electrical charge between its terminals, electriccurrent will flow through the test circuit 64, thereby illuminating thelight-emitting diode 70. Upon seeing the light-emitting diode 70 visiblyilluminated, the person 24 may then conclude that the battery 60 stillretains an electrical charge (i.e., is not “dead”) and therefore doesnot yet need to be replaced. If, on the other hand, the battery 60 nolonger retains an electrical charge, no electric current will flowthrough the test circuit 64. As a result, the light-emitting diode 70will not be illuminated. Upon seeing that the light-emitting diode 70 isnot illuminated, the person 24 may then conclude that the battery 60 nolonger retains an electrical charge (i.e., is dead) and that the battery60 should therefore be replaced. In this way, the battery test circuit64 particularly serves as a visible indicator as to whether the battery60 still retains an electrical charge between its terminals.

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of the portable unit 14A in FIG. 1.As shown in FIG. 3A, the portable unit 14 generally has many variousexternal features or components. More particularly, these externalfeatures or components include a casing 74, two ringlets 78A (see FIG.3B) and 78B, an answer (ANS) push-button 80, an emergency (or “911”)push-button 88, a speaker 84, a light-emitting diode (LED) 90, and abattery test push-button 92.

The casing 74, first of all, is structurally adapted for housing,mounting, or supporting the many various features or componentsassociated with the portable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 3A, the casing 74may be separated into two sections along a crack 76. In this way, theportable unit 14 can be internally serviced as needed. Furthermore,although other constituent materials may indeed be utilized, the casing74 is preferably made of lightweight plastic.

The two ringlets 78A and 78B, next of all, are fixed onto or integralwith the outer surface of the casing 74. As shown in FIG. 3A, theringlets 78A and 78B are particularly situated at or near the top of thecasing 74. Situated as such, the two ringlets 78A and 78B ideally serveas convenient means for attaching or tying the two ends of a string tothe portable unit 14. In this way, the portable unit 14 can easily beworn on-person as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1.

The answer (ANS) push-button 80, in turn, is mounted on the top of thecasing 74 of the portable unit 14. In general, the answer push-button 80serves as an activatable switch for selectively triggering seizure ofthe telephone line 18 via the switching circuit 36 in response to anyringing signal that is detected by the ring detector circuit 38. In thisway, the answer push-button 80 enables a remotely situated person 24 totake the telephone line 18 off-hook in order to answer the telephone 16before an outside caller hangs up.

The emergency (or “911”) push-button 88, next of all, is mounted on thetop of the casing 74 of the portable unit 14. In general, the emergencypush-button 88 serves as an activatable switch for selectivelytriggering both seizure of the telephone line 18 and activation of theautodialer circuit 46. In this way, the emergency push-button 88 enablesa remotely situated person 24 to take the telephone line 18 off-hook andautomatically speed dial an emergency response telephone number in theevent of a perceived emergency.

The speaker (SPKR) 84, in turn, is mounted within the front panel of thecasing 74 of the portable unit 14. In general, the speaker 84 serves asa means for receiving audible communications over the telephone line 18whenever the telephone line is seized by the switching circuit 36. Inthis way, the speaker 84 enables a remotely situated person 24 to hearthe voice of a caller or an emergency response worker communicated overthe telephone line 18.

The light-emitting diode (LED) 90 and the battery test push-button 92,last of all, are proximately mounted together on a side of the casing 74of the portable unit 14 near the crack 76. Together, the light-emittingdiode 90 and the test push-button 92 cooperatively serve as means forhelping determine whether a power-supplying battery 94 (see FIG. 4)housed within the casing 74 needs to be replaced. In particular, if aperson 24 presses the test push-button 92 and the light-emitting diode90 is thereby illuminated, the person 24 may then conclude that thebattery 94 still retains an electrical charge and therefore does not yetneed to be replaced. If, on the other hand, the light-emitting diode 90is not thereby illuminated, the person 24 may then conclude that thebattery 94 no longer retains an electrical charge and should thereforebe replaced.

FIG. 3B is a top view of the portable unit 14 in FIG. 3A. As shown inFIG. 3B, the portable unit 14 also includes additional external featuresor components. More particularly, these additional external features orcomponents include a microphone (MIC) 82 and a caller ID display 86.

The microphone (MIC) 82, first of all, is mounted on the top of thecasing 74 of the portable unit 14. Mounted as such, the microphone 82serves as a means for transmitting verbal communications over thetelephone line 18 whenever the telephone line 18 is seized by theswitching circuit 36. In this way, the microphone 82 enables a remotelysituated person 24 to speak to a caller or an emergency response workerover the telephone line 18.

The caller ID display 86, in turn, is mounted on the top of the casing74 of the portable unit 14. Mounted as such, the caller ID display 86serves as a viewable display for visually presenting calleridentification information generated from the caller ID data signalsprocessed by the caller ID processor 44. In this way, when the ringdetector circuit 38 detects a ringing signal, the caller ID display 86enables a remotely situated person 24 to view the display 86 in order todetermine the identity of the caller. Upon learning the identity of thecaller, the person 24 may then exercise discretion in deciding whetherto press the answer push-button 80 in order to seize the telephone line18 and converse with the caller. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment,the caller ID display 86 itself is a liquid-crystal display (LCD).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the portable unit 14 depicted in FIGS. 3Aand 3B. As shown in FIG. 4, the portable unit 14 additionally includesvarious internal features and components that generally cannot be viewedwhen the casing 74 is fully assembled. Some of these features andcomponents include, in particular, structure for retaining theaforementioned replaceable battery (BAT) 94, a battery test circuit 99,an antenna 98, a transmitter-receiver 100, a microprocessor (.mu.P) 102,a speech network 104, display logic 106, and a counter-timer circuit108.

The structure for retaining the replaceable battery (BAT) 94, first ofall, is housed within the casing 74 of the portable unit 14. In general,having structure for retaining such a replaceable battery 94 enables theportable unit 14 to draw electrical power from a self-contained andportable power source, that is, the battery 94 itself. As a result, theportable unit 14 can be operated as a cordless device.

The battery test circuit 99, next of all, is generally mounted andhoused within the casing 74 of the portable unit 14. In general, thetest circuit 99 serves as a means for determining whether the battery 94needs to be replaced. To make such a determination, the test circuit 99includes a resistor 96, the aforementioned battery test push-button 92(normally open), and the aforementioned light-emitting diode (LED) 90all connected in series-between the positive and negative terminals ofthe battery 94 as shown in FIG. 4. Connected as such, a person 24 canpress the test push-button 92 and thereby complete an electricallyconductive path between the two terminals of the battery 94 via the testcircuit 99. If the battery 94 still retains an electrical charge betweenits terminals, electric current will flow through the test circuit 99,thereby illuminating the light-emitting diode 90. Upon seeing thelight-emitting diode 90 visibly illuminated, the person 24 may thenconclude that the battery 94 still retains an electrical charge andtherefore does not yet need to be replaced. If, on the other hand, thebattery 94 no longer retains an electrical charge, no electric currentwill flow through the test circuit 99. As a result, the light-emittingdiode 90 will not be illuminated. Upon seeing that the light-emittingdiode 90 is not illuminated, the person 24 may then conclude that thebattery 94 no longer retains an electrical charge and that the battery94 should therefore be replaced. In this way, the battery test circuit99 particularly serves as a visible indicator as to whether the battery94 still retains an electrical charge between its terminals.

The antenna 98 and the transmitter-receiver 100, in turn, are generallymounted and housed within, or supported on, the casing 74 of theportable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna 98 and thetransmitter-receiver 100 are generally directly connected together.Connected as such, electromagnetic signals can therefore be sent andreceived by the antenna 98 of the portable unit 14 for the purpose ofestablishing a communication link with the stationary unit 12. Suchelectromagnetic signals may particularly include, for example,electromagnetic waves having frequencies encompassed within the radiofrequency spectrum. Ultimately, in establishing such a communicationlink, information or data signals as well as control signals cantherefore be passed between the portable unit 14 and the stationary unit12. For the purpose of ensuring that the portable unit 14 is relativelycompact in size so that it is not bulky and unnecessarily cumbersome tocarry, the transmitter-receiver 100 may in some embodiments be atransceiver.

The microprocessor (.mu.P) 102, next of all, is mounted and housedwithin the casing 74 of the portable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, themicroprocessor 102 is electrically connected to many, if not most, ofthe primary electronic components that make up the portable unit 14.Connected as such, the microprocessor 102 serves to process both controlsignals and data signals in order to thereby largely coordinate andcontrol the overall operation of the portable unit 14. Though themicroprocessor 102 as depicted in FIG. 4 is shown to be singular, it isto be understood that the microprocessor 102 itself may very wellinclude one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, and/or memorychips pursuant to the present invention.

The speech network 104, in turn, is mounted and housed within the casing74 of the portable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the speech network 104is electrically interconnected between the microphone 82, the speaker84, the microprocessor 102, and the transmitter-receiver 100 associatedwith the antenna 98. Connected as such, the speech network 104 thusserves to process speech and voice signals for the purpose offacilitating both the transmission and receipt of such signals over thetelephone line 18 as well as the communication of such signals throughthe portable unit 14. In addition, the speech network 104 also serves tofacilitate functional cooperation between the portable unit 14 and thestationary unit 12 so that full duplex operation of the overall system10 is made possible. In this way, a person 24 can simultaneously talkand listen over the portable unit 14 without experiencing intermittentinterruptions.

The display logic 106, next of all, is mounted and housed within thecasing 74 of the portable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the display logic106 is electrically interconnected between the caller ID display 86, themicroprocessor 102, and the transmitter-receiver 100 associated with theantenna 98. Connected as such, the display logic 106 serves to furtherprocess the caller ID data signals as received and previously processedby the caller ID processor 44 in the stationary unit 12. In this way,the display logic 106 works to ensure that caller identificationinformation, as generated from the processed caller ID data signals, isultimately displayed on the caller ID display 86 in a readable format.

The counter-timer circuit 108, in turn, is mounted and housed within thecasing 74 of the portable unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the counter-timercircuit 108 is electrically connected between the emergency (or “911”)push-button 88 and the microprocessor 102. Connected as such, thecounter-timer circuit 108 serves to restrictively permit activation ofthe autodialer circuit 46 to only when the emergency push-button 88 isactivated (i.e., pressed) a predetermined number of times within apredetermined period of time. For example, the counter-timer circuit 108may be designed and/or programmed to only permit activation of theautodialer circuit 46 when the emergency push-button 88 has been pressedthree or more times within a ten-second time period (i.e., 3.times.within 10 secs). In this way, the autodialer circuit 46 is not activatedto dial an emergency response telephone number when the emergencypush-button 88 is merely inadvertently bumped or mistakenly pressed by aperson 24. As a result, false-alarm phone calls are thereby largelyprevented.

FIG. 5A is a rear perspective view of the portable unit 14 in FIGS. 3Aand 3B. As shown in FIG. 5A, the back of the portable unit 14 preferablyincludes a lock pocket 112 for closely receiving a clip or clippingmember. The lock pocket 112 itself is affixed to, or integral with, theback portion of the casing 74.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a clipping member 114. As shown in FIG.5B, the clipping member 114 is particularly shaped such that it can beclosely received and selectively secured within the lock pocket 112highlighted in FIG. 5A. Although other constituent materials may indeedbe utilized, the clipping member 114 itself may be made of metal orplastic and is preferably resilient in nature.

FIG. 5C is a rear perspective view of the portable unit 14 in FIGS. 3Aand 3B. As shown in FIG. 5C, the clipping member 114 of FIG. 5B issecured within the lock pocket 112 highlighted in FIG. 5A. When securedin this manner, the lock pocket 112 and the clipping member 114 therebycooperatively actualize a clipping system 110. Provided with such aclipping system 110, the portable unit 14B can therefore be wornon-person by means of the secured clipping member 114 instead of bymeans of a string.

FIG. 6 is an illustration depicting how the portable unit 14B of FIG. 5Ccan be clipped onto an article of clothing worn by a person 24B. In thisparticular scenario, the portable unit 14B is clipped onto a pants waistseam or a belt worn by the person 24B. In other possible scenarios,however, the portable unit 14B may instead be clipped, for example, ontoa shirt pocket, a pants pocket, or even suspenders (i.e., braces).

In addition to the string-and-ringlets contrivance depicted in FIG. 1and the clipping system contrivance depicted in FIG. 6, it is to beunderstood that other mechanical contrivances may alternatively oradditionally be included on the portable unit 14 so that the unit 14 canbe easily toted on-person. Such other mechanical contrivances mayinclude, for example, an armlet, a band, a belt, a bracelet, a clasp, achain, a hook, a loop, a necklace, a pin, a ring, a strap, or the like,or even various combinations thereof.

During operation, when an outside caller attempts to call the person 24Aon the telephone 16 in FIG. 1, a ring generator situated within thecentral office of a local telephone company transmits a pulsed ringingsignal along the telephone line 18 to the telephone 16. Once the ringingsignal is received and detected by the telephone 16, a ringer within thetelephone 16 then audibly sounds off so that the person 24A hears thetelephone 16 ringing. At generally the same time, the ring detectorcircuit 38 within the stationary unit 12 of the remote telephoneanswering system 10 detects the same ringing signal and “awakens” thesystem 10. In awakening the system 10, many to all of the numerousfeatures and components included within both the stationary unit 12 andthe portable unit 14 are thereby electrically enabled to perform theirrespective operations.

Assuming a conventional North American telephone network, for example,the central office of the local telephone company will transmit callerID data signals along the telephone line 18 in between the first andsecond pulses of the ringing signal. Upon receiving these caller ID datasignals, the caller ID processor 44 within the stationary unit 12 thenpromptly processes the caller ID data signals and therefrom generatescaller identification information. After generating the calleridentification information, the caller ID processor 44 then communicatesthe caller identification information in the form of data signals to thedisplay logic 106 in the portable unit 14 via radio frequencyelectromagnetic waves transmitted from the antenna 32 of the stationaryunit 12 to the antenna 98 of the portable unit 14A. Upon receiving thedata signals, the display logic 106 then further processes the datasignals such that caller identification information is ultimatelydisplayed on the caller ID display 86 in a readable format. In this way,when the person 24A views the caller ID display 86 on the portable unit14 as prompted to do so upon hearing the ringing of the telephone 16,the person 24A is thereby generally informed as to the identification ofthe outside caller.

If the person 24A desires to speak with the identified outside callerbut is situated far enough away from the telephone 16 such that heanticipates that he will not be able to reach the telephone 16 beforethe caller hangs up, the person 24A may simply press the answerpush-button 80 on the portable unit 14 to thereby answer the telephone16. In pressing the answer push-button 80 on the portable unit 14, theswitching circuit 36 within the stationary unit 36 is then activated viaone or more control signals within the system 10 to promptly seize thetelephone line 18 and thereby create an off-hook condition in the line18. In creating the off-hook condition in the telephone line 18 inresponse to the outside call, the central office of the local telephonecompany then “completes” the call so that the line 18 is open for theexchange of verbal communication between the outside caller and theperson 24A. Once the telephone line 18 is opened in this manner, theperson 24A may then speak into the microphone 82 of the portable unit 14in order to speak with the outside caller. By way of the speaker 84 inthe portable unit 14, the outside caller, in turn, may speak back and beheard by the person 24A. In this way, therefore, the remotely situatedperson 24A is able to use the remote telephone answering system 10 totimely field a telephone call from an outside caller without having tomiss the call. Equipped with such remote answering capability, theremote telephone answering system 10 is therefore quite ideal for use bya person who is, for example, elderly, infirm, disabled, handicapped, ornot fully ambulatory.

Ideally, if the person 24A were content to do so, he could opt to carryon his conversation with the outside caller by simply using the remotetelephone answering system 10 without having to actually reach andswitch over to using the telephone 16 to finish the conversation. As apractical matter, however, since the battery 94 within the portable unit14 is a limited power source and can therefore only supply electricaloperating power to the portable unit 14 for some time before becomingfully discharged, the remote telephone answering system 10 is bestutilized for brief telephone call conversations. For longer telephoneconversations, the remote telephone answering system 10 is best utilizedby the person 24A to initially answer the telephone 16 in order to buytime before ultimately reaching the telephone 16. Upon reaching thetelephone 16, the person 24A may then take the receiver of the telephone16 off-hook so as to maintain the off-hook condition in the telephoneline 18. Thereafter, the person 24A may then press the answerpush-button 80 on the portable unit 14 again in order to turn off theremote phone answering system 10 and thereby put the system 10 back to“sleep.” By quickly switching over to the telephone 16 for the remainderof the conversation in this manner, the electrical power of the battery94 in the portable unit 14 is thereby conserved.

In the event that the person 24A perceives that an emergency situationhas arisen in between telephone calls, the person 24A may simply pressthe emergency (or “911”) push-button 88 on the portable unit 14 apredetermined number of times (for example, at least 3 times) within apredetermined period of time (for example, in up to 10 seconds). If theemergency push-button 88 is pressed both frequently and timely enough asdetermined by the counter-timer circuit 108, the switching circuit 36 inthe stationary unit 12 is then prompted to immediately seize thetelephone line 18. Immediately thereafter, the autodialer circuit 46, inturn, is prompted to automatically speed dial an emergency responsetelephone number that had previously been programmed and stored in therandom access memory (RAM) 48. Once the speed dialed call is “completed”by the central office, the person 24A may then converse with anemergency response worker via the microphone 82 and the speaker 84 onthe portable unit 14 in order to get help and assistance. Equipped withsuch an emergency response capability, the remote telephone answeringsystem 10 is therefore quite ideal for use by a person who is, forexample, elderly, infirm, disabled, handicapped, or not fullyambulatory. In this way, such a person may easily call for assistance inemergency situations such as, for example, slip-and-fall incidents,strokes, heart episodes and attacks, diabetic shock, fires, burglaries,et cetera.

In addition to the particular embodiment of the remote telephoneanswering system disclosed and discussed hereinabove, it is to beunderstood that numerous other embodiments of the remote telephoneanswering system may alternatively be implemented pursuant to thepresent invention as well. For example, in simpler and more basicembodiments, the portable unit speaker, the caller ID displaycapability, and/or the emergency autodialing capability may optionallybe omitted altogether from the system. On the other hand, for example,in more complex and sophisticated embodiments, an audible ringer forproviding system ringing capability may additionally be incorporatedwithin the portable unit.

While the present invention has been largely described in what ispresently considered to be its most practical and preferred embodimentor implementation, it is to be understood that the invention is not tobe limited to the preferred embodiment as disclosed hereinabove. On thecontrary, the present invention is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the claims appended hereinbelow, which scope is to be accordedthe broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modificationsand equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.

1. A system for selectively answering a telephone, the systemcomprising: a stationary unit connectable in line with a telephone lineextending to the telephone, wherein the stationary unit includes: afirst antenna coupled to a first transmitter-receiver to communicatewith a portable unit that includes a second antenna coupled to a secondtransmitter-receiver, a switching circuit to seize the telephone lineafter receiving a signal received from a first activatable switch of theportable unit, from a second activatable switch of the portable unit, orany combination thereof, and an autodialer circuit to dial apre-programmed telephone number in response to a signal received fromthe second activatable switch of the portable unit; wherein thestationary unit receives verbal communications from the portable unitand transmits the verbal communications via the telephone line after thetelephone line is seized; and wherein at least one of the stationaryunit and the portable unit includes a counter-timer circuit torestrictively permit activation of the autodialer circuit when thesecond activatable switch is activated a number of times within a timeperiod.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ring detectorcircuit to activate the system upon detecting a ringing signal receivedover the telephone line.
 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising anenclosure to house the ring detector circuit, the autodialer circuit,and the switching circuit.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the ringdetector circuit detects a ringing signal that has a voltage within arange of about 70 to 90 alternating-current volts and a frequency withina range of about 17 to 20 hertz.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thestationary unit includes both an extendable power cord and a prongedplug affixed thereto for drawing electrical power from analternating-current power outlet.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein theswitching circuit includes at least one relay.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein at least one of the transmitter-receivers associated with thefirst and second antennae is a transceiver.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the stationary unit includes a circuit for processing calleridentification (caller ID) data signals received over the telephoneline.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit seizes thetelephone line by establishing an off-hook condition in response to atrigger from the first activatable switch or the second activatableswitch.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the stationary unit includesa speech network to process voice signals and to facilitate duplexoperation of the stationary unit and the portable unit.
 11. The systemof claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed telephone number is an emergencyresponse telephone number.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein thestationary unit includes an interactive user panel to selectivelyprogram a telephone number dialed by the autodialer circuit.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12, wherein the selectively programmed telephone numberis stored in a memory of the stationary unit.
 14. The system of claim 1,wherein the stationary unit includes a replaceable battery to supplypower when a primary power source fails.
 15. The system of claim 14,wherein: the stationary unit includes a battery test circuit thatincludes a battery test button and a light source; and wherein the lightsource illuminates in response to a manipulation of the battery testbutton, when the battery contains electrical charge sufficient to powerthe stationary unit.
 16. A system for selectively answering a telephone,the system comprising: a portable unit that includes: a first antennacoupled to a first transmitter-receiver to communicate with astationary, unit, a first activatable switch to selectively trigger thestationary unit to seize a telephone line in response to a ringingsignal received over the telephone line, a second activatable switch toselectively trigger the stationary unit to seize the telephone line andto dial a pre-programmed telephone number, and a microphone to transmitverbal communications to the stationary unit, such that the stationaryunit is enabled to transmit the verbal communications via the telephoneline after the telephone line is seized; and wherein at least one of thestationary unit and the portable unit includes a counter-timer circuitto restrictively permit activation of the autodialer circuit when thesecond activatable switch is activated a number of times within a timeperiod.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the portable unit includesan armlet, a band, a belt, a bracelet, a clasp, a clip, a chain, a hook,a loop, a necklace, a pin, a ring, a string, a strap, or any combinationthereof.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the portable unit includesa speaker for receiving audible communications from a caller over. 19.The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first activatableswitch and the second activatable switch is a push-button type switch.20. The system of claim 16, wherein the portable unit includes aviewable display to visually present caller identification (caller ID)information generated from caller ID data signals received by thestationary unit.